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Women's jobs are more vulnerable in a downturn, report says
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Women have become increasingly vulnerable to job losses during downturns, putting families at greater financial risk during these troubled times, according to a Tuesday report from the Democratic staff of Congress's Joint Economic Committee. WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Women have become increasingly vulnerable to job losses during downturns, putting families at greater fina... more
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Focus US aid efforts on women, say experts
Experts calling for changes in the U.S. foreign aid system got a sharp reminder Tuesday on Capitol Hill from representatives of half the world's population: put women at the center of efforts to improve lives in developing countries.
A growing consensus around the need to put a new face on Washington's 40-year-old Foreign Assistance Act -- including the creation of a cabinet-level post for Global and Human Development -- has drawn the attention of organizations dedicated to improving the lot of women around the world.
Yolanda Richardson, president of the Center for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA), told Hill staffers and others that implementing policies that recognize the vital role women play in poor communities is the best way to "improve the quality and effectiveness of our global development assistance."
The briefing was co-sponsored by CEDPA and seven Congresswomen, and highlighted the work of women activists in Angola, Egypt, and Nigeria who described how their efforts have changed women's lives and, in so doing, improved the conditions of entire communities.
The three women described a variety of health, conflict resolution, and job training projects in their countries, aimed largely at empowering women in regions of the world where they have traditionally been powerless, both in their homes and in the larger society.
In Nigeria, said Nsekpong Udoh of Community Partners for Development, "until women are empowered economically they can't afford to become involved in politics; they remain invisible. So we provide a lot of microcredit."
In Angola, the focus is on peace-building and conflict resolution following the country's 30-year civil war. Cesaltina Nunda of the group Angola 2000 said women played an instrumental role in finding and handing over weapons after the war.
"Even though the war is over and we have collected many weapons and helped local communities resolve many conflicts, we cannot stop now," Nunda said. "Talking about violence is a process, and it can't be resolved in a year or two."
Humanitarian groups argue that economic and social development, too, is a lengthy process, but the U.S. government's aid efforts have become increasingly intertwined with political and military agendas and timeframes that focus too much on results sought by Washington and too little on the needs of those who receive development aid.
"Development doesn't work that way," said Sam Worthington, president of InterAction. "You have to sit down with people and see what they need. You need time and flexibility" to do the job right. InterAction is an association representing 168 U.S. nonprofit groups focused on the world’s poor and most vulnerable people.
CEDPA's Richardson agrees with those calling for a new approach to foreign aid, but is convinced that unless new policies and strategies place a special focus on women, they will fail to address the very basic issue of poverty reduction in developing countries.
When development projects strengthen women's ability to improve their lives, she stressed, they also have a positive impact on children, families, and communities. This is what makes aid effective and sustainable, two of its most important goals.
The work being done by the three organizations represented at the briefing, which all work in partnership with external providers of foreign aid, is a model Richardson would like to see followed.
The issues addressed in each country reflect urgent national and community needs -- for employment opportunities in Egypt, health in Nigeria, and peace-building in Angola -- and in each case women are trained to become decision makers and actors in the development process. Experts calling for changes in the U.S. foreign aid system got a sharp reminder Tuesday on Capitol Hill from representatives of half t... more -
Scandal of stolen Guatemalan babies adopted by foreigners
DNA tests in Guatemala have proven for the first time that a child put up for adoption through the state system was stolen from her mother, officials say.
Ana Escobar reported her daughter Esther Sulamita stolen last year and during her search saw the baby with a US woman who was adopting her.
The baby had a false birth certificate but DNA tests proved the parentage and Esther is now back with Ms Escobar.
Baby thefts have long been suspected and Guatemala froze adoptions in May.
Guatemala is second only to China as the source of babies adopted by US parents and the adoption process is worth tens of millions of dollars a year.
Last year, more than 4,700 Guatemalan children were adopted by Americans.
Dozens of Guatemalan mothers have reported stolen babies.
Ana Escobar said armed men had locked her in a storage closet at the family's shoe shop north of Guatemala City and abducted six-month-old Esther in March last year.
Ms Escobar searched hospitals and orphanages and while at the National Adoption Council's offices in May saw a toddler she was convinced was Esther.
Jaime Tecu, director of a team of experts reviewing all pending Guatemalan adoptions, said: "She was so sure that the child was hers that we agreed to search the house where the baby was kept."
Ms Escobar told Associated Press news agency on Wednesday: "I can't explain how excited and happy I am. It's a miracle."
Mr Tecu said: "This is the first time that we've been able to show, with irrefutable evidence, that a stolen child was put up for adoption."
He said officials would investigate the lawyers who handled the adoption, the doctor who signed earlier, falsified DNA tests and anyone else associated with the process.
"This was run by a mafia, and we are going after them," he said.
In May the authorities suspended the adoption of some 2,300 children by foreigners and are reviewing each case to check if the babies were genuinely being offered for adoption by their birth mothers.
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Is this shocking evidence that some people will do anything for a baby, or anything for money? Will all of Guatemala's adopted babies now have to be tested to see if they were stolen instead of legally given up for adoption? If you were a child who had been stolen from your birth parents but had grown up in a new family what would you do?
DNA tests in Guatemala have proven for the first time that a child put up for adoption through the state system was stolen from her mo... more -
Banana-flavoured breast milk anyone? Diet flavours mother's milk
Flavours in a mother's diet can find their way into her breast milk within minutes, according to new research carried out at the University of Copenhagen.
18 women were asked to provide samples of breast milk before and after eating capsules containing various flavours. While banana could be detected for an hour after consumption, menthol lasted for eight hours.
The research also found that the time it took for falvours to arrive and disappear varied significantly between women. However, no flavour seemed to last for more than eight hours.
According to Dr Helene Hausner, the preliminary results suggested that a variety of flavours in breast milk could make the baby more accepting of new and diverse flavours. Flavours in a mother's diet can find their way into her breast milk within minutes, according to new research carried out at the Unive... more -
Watermelon 'has same effect as Viagra'
Eating watermelon has a similar effect on the body to Viagra, according to researchers in the US.
It's down to a chemical called citrulline which is found in the juicy fruit.
Citrulline is an organic compound which affects the body's blood vessels in the same way as the sex enhancement pills.
It helps relax the blood vessels which means blood gets around the body more easily.
The research comes from the US' Texas Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Centre.
Dr Bhimu Patil led the research. He said: "We've always known that watermelon is good for you, but the list of its very important healthful benefits grows longer with each study.
"Watermelon may not be as organ specific as Viagra... but it's a great way to relax blood vessels without any drug side-effects."
It's also claimed watermelons are good for your heart and immune system. The vast majority of watermelon (92%) is made up of water. But the remaining 8% is loaded with the anti-oxidant lycopene which is also good for your skin.
Wow, delicious AND nutritious. Will you be adding watermelon to your shopping list before a cosy evening in thanks to this news? Have you already tried it and reaped the benefits of 'relaxed blood vessels'? And do any so-called aphrodisiac foods actually work?
Eating watermelon has a similar effect on the body to Viagra, according to researchers in the US. ... more -
At £150m, Rowling is the richest celebrity
According to this year's Forbes' list, Harry Potter author JK Rowling earned more than any other celebrity. Apparently, she made $300m (£150m) last year. Other British celebrities included in the list were Keira Knightley (the world's second best paid female actor), Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe and David Beckham.
According to this year's Forbes' list, Harry Potter author JK Rowling earned more than any other celebrity. Apparently, she made $300m... more -
Men grow happier with age while women grow miserable, says new report
Middle-aged women are unhappier than their male peers, even though they start adult life more content, a study suggests.
Researchers looked at data spanning several decades, and concluded that after the age of 48, men are generally happier than women.
Men are most miserable in their 20s, but grow more satisfied as they get older, marry and earn more money, they found.
Women on the other hand are happier than men in early adulthood, but the glow wears off with time.
Researchers at the University of Cambridge and University of Southern California looked specifically at the role of unfulfilled desires in a person's sense of well-being.
They found that overall happiness is most heavily linked to the stability of a person's family and finances.
Both sexes have fairly similar life goals when it comes to love, the study reveals. Nine out of 10 people reach adult life wanting a happy marriage.
The saddest period of the average man's life – his 20s – is also the period when he is most likely to be single.
Young men are also more dissatisfied than young women with their financial situations, not because they are worse off, but because they want more and therefore experience a greater "shortfall," the researchers said.
But age alters many things, including men's money woes and lacklustre love lives.
After the age of 34, men are more likely to be married than women, and the gap only widens with age, mirroring men's growing satisfaction with family life.
Ms Plagnol said: "In later life men come closer to fulfilling their aspirations, are more satisfied with their family lives and financial situations, and are the happier of the two."
Men also become more satisfied with their financial situations over time, as reflected in their increased spending power. The researchers found that men tend to covet big-ticket items that might not be within reach until later in life, such as a car or holiday home.
Some age milestones:
41: Age at which men's financial satisfaction exceeds women's financial satisfaction
48: Age at which men's overall happiness exceeds women's overall happiness
64: Age at which men's satisfaction with family life exceeds women's satisfaction
Are you a woman growing ever unhappier, or a man getting more and more content? How does what you want now differ from what you wanted 5 or 10 years ago, and what you want 5 or 10 years in the future? Could the prevalent social idea that age is thought to diminish women's beauty and therefore her worth, whereas age makes a man more valuable and distinguished, have something to do with it? What changes do you notice in your male and female friends as you grow older, and which of the two sexes appear to be happiest? Or is it all a load of crap, with no differences between men and women at all?
Middle-aged women are unhappier than their male peers, even though they start adult life more content, a study suggests. ... more -
Bosnian rape victims may be forced to return to scene by government
"Every day we were raped," says Jasmina of the rule of Radovan Karadzic. She was 19 years old when war broke out.
In April 1992, the Serb soldiers took over her city of Bijeljina and began to kill, torture and terrorize the Muslims there in a brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing.
"The men from my family were beaten up the first day. ... My mother just disappeared. I never found out what happened." Jasmina said.
"Then they started torturing me. I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I was totally naked and covered in blood, and my sister-in-law was also naked and covered in blood. ... I knew I had been raped, and my sister-in-law, too." In a corner, she saw her mother-in-law, holding her children and crying.
"That same day we were locked in our house. That was the worst, the worst period of my whole life. That's when it started.
"Every day we were raped. Not only in the house -- they would also take us to the front line for the soldiers to torture us. Then again in the house, in front of the children.
"I was in such a bad condition that sometimes I couldn't even recognize my own children. Even though I was in a very bad physical condition they had no mercy at all. They raped me every day. They took me to the soldiers and back to that house.
"The only conversation we had was when I was begging them to kill me. That's when they laughed. Their response was 'we don't need you dead.'
"It lasted for a year. Every day. ... Not all the women survived."
Tens of thousands of women were raped in Bosnia and the other parts of the former Yugoslavia between 1992 and 1994 during the rule of Radovan Karadzic, according to estimates by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Jasmina was finally rescued by a family friend who bought her as a prostitute with the secret intention of setting her free.
She now lives in a modest apartment in a tower block in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
She does not own the apartment, and all property must be returned to rightful owners under the terms of an annex to the U.S.-brokered peace agreement that ended the war.
The Office of the High Representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina, an international body set up to oversee the implementation of the peace agreements, says almost all property rights have been restored. But it is impossible to say how many people have gone home and how many have sold their houses, leaving cities and towns like Bijeljina "ethnically cleansed," as the warmongers had planned.
A law enacted in September 2006 does include a section that says homes should be provided for victims of sexual torture during the war. It is not clear who should implement the act, and there is no agency making sure the law is enforced, according to the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees.
Meanwhile, authorities say Jasmina should return to her mother-in-law's rebuilt house in Bijeljina. But she says she will never go back to the place where she lost 39 members of her family and where her abuse began.
It is a fear shared by other women, according to Alisa Muratcaus, the president of the Association of Concentration Camp Survivors, a group that offers classes and other support to Jasmina and 1,200 other women across the capital, including 150 victims of mass rape.
"Many of our members must deal with the realities of return. Not all members are able psychologically to return to regions in which they suffered such extreme abuses," she said.
"No one raped women has returned to their pre-war houses, since it is immoral and inhuman to request their return while the war criminals who tortured them are still free and live in these regions."
With Radovan Karadzic now on trial, can any charge or punishment ever be enough to somehow make up for the atrocities committed on thousands of women, at his orders? How does anyone begin to rebuild their lives after such a horror?
"Every day we were raped," says Jasmina of the rule of Radovan Karadzic. She was 19 years old when war broke out. ... more -
Carry your lardarse lady to safety! PlayStation launches "Fat Princess" game
Apparently responding to female gamers' calls for more and better representation of women, Titan Studios/Sony has launched a new PlayStation game called "Fat Princess." I'm not kidding.
According to PlayStation, "Frantic and fun, Fat Princess pits two hordes of players against each other in comic medieval battle royale. Your goal is to rescue your beloved princess from the enemy dungeon. There’s a catch though: your adversary has been stuffing her with food to fatten her up and it’s going to take most of your army working together to carry her back across the battlefield."
Wow. This isn't even a joke. Sony has certainly got the wheels of publicity spinning - online debate and bitchery have begun in earnest, and it's certainly intense.
Some gaming bloggers are pleased - and surprised - by just how good the game is:
"With the title and logo the way it is, it may be hard to think of Fat Princess as a real hardcore title, but that's exactly what it is. Fights always end in bloody messes. After a massive battle, you'll see body parts and blood soaking the entirety of the floor. With its unique art style, high concept, and fun presentation, we can't wait to play Fat Princess when it debuts exclusively on the PSN later this year."
And from one eloquent and angry female gamer, this gem:
"Anyway, congrats on your awesome new game, Sony. I'm positively thrilled to see such unyielding dedication to creating a new generation of fat-hating, heteronormative assholes. It's not often I have the opportunity to congratulate a cutting-edge tech company on such splendiferous retrofuck jackholery. Way to go! The Fat Princess of Shakes Manor salutes you."
A moment's pause please, for 'splendiferous retrofuck jackholery'. Mmm, delicious.
So, "Fat Princess" - a harmless joke, a justified reaction to developments in the real world (where of course everyone is piling on the pounds, if moral panics are to be believed), or a shocking example of sexism, fattism, and just plain wrong-ism? Let the games begin...
Apparently responding to female gamers' calls for more and better representation of women, Titan Studios/Sony has launched a new PlayS... more -
Breaking up just got easier - dump your lover by voicemail
Need to break up with someone, but dreading the moment? This new service could be just the thing for you!
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New girly videogames based on teen movies
Because videogames, let's be honest, have so far mostly appealed to only half the population (the one with doodles), videogame makers have long been racking their brains trying to come up with a way to attract that other half (the ones with hoo-has). It's that eternal dance of nerds trying to woo ladies and failing miserably. But now they've got a new plan that's sure to work! Video games based on girly movies like Mean Girls, Clueless, and Pretty In Pink.
Paramount is developing all of these as so-called "casual titles." We don't really know what that means (maybe our brother site Kotaku does), but we like to guess challenges include fighting all the junior girls in a hallway battle royale, running around the Valley dodging muggers and the sleazy Elton's car, and trying to do the Duckie prom dance while dodging Bolo tie projectiles. Squeeeeallll doesn't it sound fun? So much better than those games where you just indiscriminately kill people. Right?
Because videogames, let's be honest, have so far mostly appealed to only half the population (the one with doodles), videogame makers ... more -
DIY breast checks 'harmful'
DIY breast checks may do more harm than good, a study has suggested.
Under current medical guidance from the Department of Health, women are advised to be "breast aware" by familiarising themselves with how they feel so they notice any changes.
But a review of research studies involving more than 380,000 women who regularly checked their breasts for lumps concluded that the practice had no effect on deaths from breast cancer.
It may even be detrimental as women who thought they found lumps underwent biopsies that turned out to be unnecessary.
Self examination led to twice as many biopsies that turned out to be negative for cancer than women who did not check their breasts.
"At present, screening by breast self-examination or physical examination (by a trained health worker) cannot be recommended," said study authors Jan Peter Kosters and Peter Gotzsche, from the Copenhagen-based Nordic Cochrane Centre.
However, they did not go as far as telling people to stop checking their breasts.
Dr Kosters said women should always "seek medical advice if they detect any change in their breasts that might be breast cancer".
However Maria Leadbeater, clinical nurse specialist at Breast Cancer Care, disagreed with the findings, saying: ""Most of the 44,000 cases of breast cancer diagnosed each year in the UK are detected by women themselves.
"The earlier that breast cancer is detected, the more likely it is that treatment will be successful.
"Being breast aware does not mean following a fancy routine - you just need to know what your breasts look and feel like normally in any way you feel comfortable.
"If you notice any unusual changes or have any worries, check them out with your GP." DIY breast checks may do more harm than good, a study has suggested. ... more -
Alice Donovan, Her Daughters' Words
It has been many years since there has been any public information about the disappearance of Alice Donovan, although her family, especially her two lovely daughters, still have the ultimate unanswered question...Where is she?
Even though the two murderers have been convicted and sit on death row, they refuse to be specific and tell this family where they so callously left her. What kind of evil can perpetuate something as uncaring as these two individuals?
The words below are from Alice's daughter. These words will give you just a peek of the pain this young lady has gone through, and how she is only now getting strong enough to work on healing her heart. She misses her Mother and only wants her home to rest in peace.
Still Waiting........
And yes almost six years later we are still waiting to bring her home. Just thinking about it brings the tears to my eyes.
Sigh..Where is she? All we want is to bring her home and give her a proper resting place. She doesn't deserve to out in the middle of the woods on the side of some road. As I write this post the tears fall. So many years of the not knowing just tares you up inside.
There have been moments over the past six years that I have longed to have my mother there, by my side. For support, compassion, laughs, love, a shoulder to cry on. A mothers love. I crave it, I miss it so badly.. I miss my mom, Alice..
Will she ever be found? I hope so..
This post as it turns out is really not a discussion it's more of my feelings. I'm sorry I got carried away with my emotions..It's something I have been needing to do know for a long time. I have surpressed my feelings about my mom for so long that they are just begging to be released.
I can't change what has happened to me, my family, or my mom. I can only help others in my situation and hope that I have something to give them. Even if it is only awareness and compassion for how they feel. Because I do know what it feels like to have your world turned upside down in just a blink of an eye....
To read more about Alice Donovan and many other Missing Mothers please feel free to read about them at http://www.peace4missing.ning.com ... more -
A Sexless Marriage --- Why she stays
Why she'll "wait and see" about her marriage (even though they don't have sex!).
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Move to allow abortion in Northern Ireland
MPs are to stage a fresh attempt to make it easier for women in Northern Ireland to have an abortion.
The cross-party group of MPs will attempt to force a vote in the House of Commons by tabling an amendment to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill in the autumn. The amendment to the Bill, which is passing through Parliament, would allow women to have an abortion on the NHS in Northern Ireland, a right they do not have now.
Labour's Diane Abbott said a woman can have an abortion in Northern Ireland only if it can be shown there was evidence of a threat to her life. This was "very strictly defined", she said. It means that every year more than 1,000 women have to pay to have the procedure carried out privately in mainland Britain, usually England.
But the proposal would face stiff opposition from Northern Ireland MPs, the majority of whom are against such a change. There have previously been suggestions that MPs from the Democratic Unionist Party were assured the abortion laws would not be changed.
Ms Abbott, MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "When it comes to abortion rights, Northern Ireland women are effectively second-class citizens. They don't have the same rights as women in England and Wales and Scotland. They even have fewer rights than women in the Republic of Ireland.
Asked if MPs should vote to change the law when the majority of Northern Ireland MPs were against it, she said: " think it is not unreasonable that the British Parliament should say that all citizens in the British Isles should have the same rights. The effect of the amendment would be to give women in Northern Ireland exactly the same rights to abortion with NHS funding that women elsewhere in Britain have. We think we have got a very good chance of getting the amendment through."
(Excerpts / Ben Padley, Independent)
MPs are to stage a fresh attempt to make it easier for women in Northern Ireland to have an abortion. ... more -
Study: School failure harder on girls than boys
Academic failure appears to trouble teen-age girls more deeply than boys, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.
They said adolescent girls who are expelled, suspended or drop out of high school before they graduate are more likely to have a serious bout of depression by age 21 than boys with similar experiences.
"For girls there are broader implications of school failure," said Carolyn McCarty, a University of Washington researcher whose study appears in the Journal of Adolescent Health. "We already know that it leads to more poverty, higher rates of being on public assistance and lower rates of job stability. And now this study shows it is having mental health implications for girls," McCarty said in a statement.
The study was drawn from data on more than 800 people in Seattle, Washington, and included people from 18 schools in high-crime neighborhoods. Overall, 45 percent of the girls and 68 percent of the boys in the study experienced a major school failure, but 22 percent of the girls later became depressed compared with 17 percent for the boys.
"This gender paradox shows that while school failure is more atypical for girls, it appears to have more severe consequences when it does occur," McCarty said.
(Excerpts / Reuters) Academic failure appears to trouble teen-age girls more deeply than boys, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday. ... more -
Sexually assaulted female troops struggle to recover
Women who are fighting for our country and the challenges they face.
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Hard times prompt women to step away from the work force
Across the country, women in their prime earning years, struggling with an unfriendly economy, are retreating from the work force, either permanently or for long stretches.
They had piled into jobs in growing numbers since the 1960s. But that stopped happening this decade, and as the nearly 7-year-old recovery gives way to hard times, the retreat is likely to accelerate.
......"When we saw women starting to drop out in the early part of this decade, we thought it was the motherhood movement, women staying home to raise their kids," said Heather Boushey, a senior economist at the Joint Economic Committee of Congress, which did the congressional study. "We did not think it was the economy, but when we looked into it, we realized that it was."....
See the whole story over at the link...
-By LOUIS UCHITELLE
New York Times Across the country, women in their prime earning years, struggling with an unfriendly economy, are retreating from the work force, eit... more -
Mad Ad Woman Interview
As the series begins again this season, an interview to start us off!
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In the United States in the year 2008, life expectancy for many women is dropping....
Another proud legacy of the Bush administration, news you'd probably expect to hear from developing nations, not the United States of America in the year 2008. This is the kind of news that should make people bitter, very bitter:
For the first time since the Spanish influenza of 1918, life expectancy is falling for a significant number of American women.
In nearly 1,000 counties that together are home to about 12 percent of the nation's women, life expectancy is now shorter than it was in the early 1980s, according to a study published today.
The downward trend is evident in places in the Deep South, Appalachia, the lower Midwest and in one county in Maine. It is not limited to one race or ethnicity but it is more common in rural and low-income areas. The most dramatic change occurred in two areas in southwestern Virginia (Radford City and Pulaski County), where women's life expectancy has decreased by more than five years since 1983.
The trend appears to be driven by increases in death from diabetes, lung cancer, emphysema and kidney failure. It reflects the long-term consequences of smoking, a habit that women took up in large numbers decades after men did, and the slowing of the historic decline in heart disease deaths.
I'd like to say this news is shocking, but nothing shocks me anymore. Oh, one other point from the article:
The phenomenon appears to be not only new but distinctly American.
"If you look in Western Europe, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, we don't see this," Murray said.
All those countries have some form of system that provides for universal health care. Another proud legacy of the Bush administration, news you'd probably expect to hear from developing nations, not the United States of ... more
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